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For boats

APPROACHApproach to
Port Vila is easy and although a daytime enter is always preferred the first
time, but you could enter at night with care. There are red/green buoys showing
main channel. There are also a leading lights flashing red, but when we visited
Port Vila didn’t work. Entrance to
the inner harbour is marked by next pair of red/green buoys. The depth between
them is 2.1m on LW. An overhead
electric cable extends from the eastern side of Iriki
Island and Vila. No vessel with a mast exceeding 25 meters height from the
waterline may attempt to pass under the cable. The maximum clearance is 28 meters close to the Vila side of the channel.
Violation of this restriction is subject to penalties plus costs of any
damages.When
approaching to the Port Vila try to contact Yachting World on VHF CH16. Tell
them your intension and wait for suggests. They will help you with clearance
(if needed) and anchoring / mooring.ANCHORAGEIf you want
to check in or out you should drop the anchor near yellow quarantine buoy. We
did it on position:17 44.267’ S and 168 18.618’ E (depth of 12 m)There is sand
and broken coral, the bottom depth is pretty erratic and if there is a strong
blow you may consider moving onto a mooring in the inner harbour.After clearing
in it is advisable to move for the more protected and quiet inner harbour behind
Irirki Island. Try to contact Yachting World on VHF CH16 and follow their suggestions.
There is a next pair of green/red buoys through the reef. The depth is 2.1m on
LW.Inside the
inner harbour there is a plenty of mooring buoys, but if you prefer anchoring
you will find some places near position:17 44.598’ S and 168 18.745’ EAnchoring after
the clearance is possible ahead of the quarantine area and outside of the
mooring field. An anchor light must be used between sunset and sunrise. This
place could be rougher when S-SW-W-NW wind is blowing.MOORING BUOYSWhen you
enter inner harbour you will see a plenty of mooring buoys. The moorings are
for boats up to 28 tons and the charge includes free water from the Yachting
World fuel wharf. The staff at Yachting World extend a warm welcome to all
cruising yachts and will be happy to assist you pick up moorings. Fees: VT1600
per day for mono hulls, VT2400 per day for Catamarans, VT3000 per day for Motor
Vessels. Try to
contact Yachting World on VHF CH16 and ask for mooring buoy. If there is no
answer pick up one and visit their office ASAP.BERTHING TO THE QUAYThere are
few places to moor Mediterranean style to the quay. You have to pick up a buoy
from your bow and tie two lines from your stern. Contact Yachting World on VHF 16
and they will action your request for a berth on the Yachting World Marina.
During the working hours the stuff will help you with berthing.10 amps electricity
and potable water on the quay.Berth fees:
VT2800 per day for mono hulls, VT3000 per day for Catamarans, VT5000 per day
for motor vessels.DINGY LANDINGIf you dropped
the anchor in quarantine area you can tie your dinghy to one of several ladders
along the sea wall opposite the main section of the town. That places are used
by water taxi as well Much better
and more safe place to tie your dinghy is a small wharf located in Yachting
World Marina (go where most boats are swinging on the buoys and head right from
the restaurant and left from the fuel wharf).YACHTING WORLD MARINAYachting
World P.O. Box 1507 ,
Port Vila, EfateTel:(+678)
23273 Fax:(+678)
25137VHF Channel
16http://www.yachtingworld-vanuatu.com/
welcome@yachtingworld-vanuatu.comOpening
hours: 08:00-16:00 (Mon-Fri), 08:00-12:00(Sat). Closed Sun & Public
holidays.Yachting
World Marina is a fully serviced Marina
for yachts up to 23 m.
They offer power and portable water, toilets and solar hot water showers. Other
facilities include the Waterfront Bar and Grill Restaurant and Connect Café for
all your Internet requirements (ASDL & WiFi).FORMALITIESPort Vila is one of the four ports of Entry on Vanuatu. When
you arrive in Port Vila, anchor in the quarantine zone near the YELLOW buoy. Hoist
your yellow quarantine flag.Try to call
Port Vila Harbor Control on Channel 16. They should keep radio watch from 07:30
to 16:30. If they do not answer, try to call Yachting World on Channel 16 (08:00-16:00
Mon-Fri, 08:00-12:00 Sat). Yachting World will arrange a clearance for you, they
will contact Customs, Immigration and Quarantine.There is
not strictly rule, where the formalities will be done. Wait for instructions
from Harbour Control or Yachting World. All officers will come to your boat or
you will go to their offices. Customs Office (1st place to go) and
Quarantine Office (2nd to go) are located on main wharf where ships
and cruisers berth. It is a bit out of the town. You can get there by taxi
(about VT500) or bus (VT 150). Immigration office (3rt to go) is in the town. If you plan
to arrive on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday, the boat must remain in the
quarantine area until Monday. Do not go ashore without first clearing in or
without explicit instructions by radio or telephone from Customs officials
instructing you otherwise.Customs,
quarantine and immigration are reported to be very helpful, as are the Yachting
World crew. INTER-ISLAND VOYAGESIf you
checked in to Vanuatu and
intent to sail to other Vanuatu’s
Islands you need special Inter-Island Voyages
Clearance. Ask about that at Customs OfficeCHECK OUTInform
Yachting World that you want to check out. In most cases you have to:

Pay a harbour fee in Port
Authority or Customs office

Check out with Immigration

Get a check out clearance in
Customs office

Do not
visit any other islands or places once you got outward international clearance.
GENERAL ABOUT CLEARANCE IN VANUATUPorts of EntryThe port of Lenakel
on the island of Tanna,
the port of Port
Vila on the island of
Efate, the port
of Luganville on the island of Santo
and the port of Sola
on the island of Vanua
Lava are the only ports of entry in the Republic of Vanuatu.Arrival in VanuatuAll Crafts
on route to Vanuatu
must provide a minimum of 24 hours advance notice of arrival to Customs. Notice
must be provided by e-mail stating:(a) the name of the vessel; and(b) the voyage (last 3 ports); and(c) the estimated date and time of arrival
in Vanuatu;
and(d) the appointed port or other place where
the craft will land or berth; and(e) the name of the master or skipper of the
vessel; and(f) the name and contact details of the
person providing the information; and(g) the names of passengers on board; and(h) list of goods to be landed (if any).According
to Quarantine laws, the vessel is required to fly the yellow flag as soon as it
enters Vanuatu’s
exclusive economic zone. Upon arrival at the port vessels can call “Customs” on
VHF radio Channel 16 (only at Port Vila and Lenakel at the moment).Master of
all yachts entering Vanuatu
from a foreign port or place must first report to the Customs, Quarantine and
Immigration authorities at either the port of Lenakel
or Port Vila or Luganville or Sola.Vessels may
not call at Mystery Island (Anietyum) or Port Resolution (Tanna) or any
other place in Vanuatu,
prior to entering one of the ports nominated above for customs clearance,
unless prior written permission is granted by the Director of Customs &
Inland Revenue. The Master of vessels who visit these places prior to obtaining
customs clearance, being issued with an “Inter-island Cruising Permit”, or
obtaining written permission may be subject to fines and/or prosecution.It is an
offence to come ashore in Vanuatu
unless having undergone customs clearance procedures on arrival.ARMS AND AMMUNITIONOn arrival
all arms and ammunition must be declared and surrendered to the Customs Officer
for safe keeping. If Customs
are satisfied that firearms and ammunition can be safely secured under seal on
board the importing vessel this may be allowed. In cases where no suitably
secure sealing arrangements exist, the goods will be detained by Customs
throughout the vessel stay in Vanuatu.
At least 48 hours notice of intended departure from the finale port of
clearance must be given in such cases.PROHIBITED
GOODSThe laws of
Vanuatu
prohibit the importation of narcotics, obscene publications and materials
(books, magazines, DVDs, computer stored images and videos, and video
cassettes), and certain firearms such as automatic weapons. These have severe
penalties for any breach of these prohibitions.PORT
DUES (Ports and Harbour fees)All
visiting small crafts are liable for port dues of 7,875 Vatu for a 30 days
period or any part thereof. After 30 days from the date of first arrival, the
vessel is liable for an additional charge of 100 vatu per day. Port Dues are to
be paid at the Ports & Harbour office, or if unavailable, at the Customs
office at the final port of departure (Lenakel,Port Vila, Luganville or Sola).QUARANTINELive
animals, reptiles, birds of any description, fresh meat, fruit or vegetables
imported by yachts must not be taken ashore. Additionally, some restriction on
whether such goods will be permitted to remain on board after the arrival at a
Customs port may be enforced by officers of Bio-security. No foreign garbage
may be landed in Vanuatu
without permission from Bio-security.CUSTOMS ALLOWANCEIn the case
of each crew member:-i) All
baggage consisting of wearing apparel, toilet requisites, articles of personal
adornment and similar personal effects, being apparel, articles and effects
possessed and used abroad by such passenger and which are not intended for
gift, sale or disposal to any other person;ii) 250
cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco, 2 litres of wine and 1.5 litres of spirits, ¼
litres of toilet water and 10 centilitres of perfume, these allowance
beinggranted per person and applicable
only for persons aged over 18 years;iii) Any
other item (other than prohibited goods) up to a value of 50,000 vatu per
person aged over 15 years.INTER-ISLAND VOYAGESOn
completion of Customs Quarantine and Immigration arrival formalities at the
port of entry, master of any vessel wishing to visit other islands in the
group, may only be allowed to do so after first declaring their intended
movements to the Customs authorities and obtaining formal approval. CUSTOMS OUTWARD CLEARANCEAll yachts
leaving Vanuatu
for a foreign port or place are required to obtain an outward clearance from
Customs at the final port of departure (i.e.Lenakel, Port Vila, Luganville or
Sola). Unless approved by the Director, a vessel having granted a certificate
of clearance must depart for overseas within 24 hours of its issue and must not
go to any place in Vanuatu.
Vessel wishing to obtain a certificate of clearance at places other than
Lenakel, Port Vila, Luganville or Sola should obtain permission for Customs and
Immigration in advance and if such a request is granted may be required to pay
for official attendance and travel.Alternatively,
certificate of clearance from undeclared places can be issued from the last
declared port in Vanuatu,
provided that a request is made via email or a note to Customs at least 24hrs
prior to departure from the declared port. Once the approval is granted, the
certificate of clearance will be issued with the ETD from the undeclared
location. Port dues will be calculated and paid up to the ETD from Vanuatu
while fuel exemptions will only be granted for the outward journey as per
current practices.Interactive
Outward Reporting forms are available on the Customs website under Forms. To
facilitate clearance, filled out forms can be emailed to the address provided
on the form prior to departure.OPERATING HOURSAll
attempts will be made to board vessels arriving from overseas as soon as
possible after their actual arrival. Outwards clearance may be obtained within
24 hours prior to the actual departure. Customs normal operating hours are
listed below.MONDAY TO
FRIDAYMORNING
07.30 Hours-12.00 HoursAFTERNOON
13.00 Hours -16.30 HoursAny
attendances by customs outside these hours for either arriving or departing
vessels will be subject to overtime attendance fees. The charges for these are
as follows:MONDAY TO
FRIDAY06:00 to
07:30 and 16:30 to 18:00 Vt1000 per hour per officer with a 3 hour minimum
payable18:00 to
06:00 VT1500 per hour per officer with a 3 hour minimum.SATURDAYS,
SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYSVT2000 per
hour per officer with a 3 hour minimum.WATEROn the quay
(if you berth to the quay) and on the fuel dock. Ask for arrangements in the
marina office, than moor o the fuel dock (2.3m at LW, 4m at HW) for fill up
tanks. Fee: no fee if you stay on mooring, VT1000 if not (at anchor). FUELThere is a
diesel dock in the marina. The depth is 4m at HW and 2.3 at LW. Do not stay
there after purchase.Duty Free
Diesel is available there, but you need to collect Request Forms from Customs Department
for Duty – Free Diesel.There is
Shell station across the street from the north end of the marina and a Mobile
Station in the center of Port Vila. Own containers needed.GASGas bottles
can be refilled at Origin Energy depot (by dinghy). Need more information, ask
in marina office.WiFiConnect
Café in the Marina
has a paid WiFi. Good option
is buying a sim card with internet data. There are 2 operators. I bought
DIGICEL 1GB for VT1000. You can easily top up more data later. I got
opinions that second operator TVL is a bit more expensive but has better
coverage on other islands. Check both offers, they are changing all the time.PRROVISIONThere a
three supermarkets, numerous Chinese shops and a large local market with
vegetables and fruits. Prices are higher than in Fiji,
but less than in New Caledonia.LAUNDRYService
available in the marina. Washed, dried and folded. VT 1000 per load.TRANSPORTTaxis are
abundant and cost about 500 vatu for most destinations in the center of the
town. Taxi to airport cost about 1500 vatuMini buses
are much better deal. They cost 100 vatu and will take you to any destination
on request. Just stop one (hold up your hand) and tell the driver your
destination. The price rises if you want to go out of the town center.BANKS / ATMsThere are
few Banks (Westpac, ANZ, Bred, BOV) with own ATMs. Easy to find in town’s
center.

For crews

Port Vila is a capital of the Vanuatu. On the main roads you will
find all typical tourist needs like groceries, shops, souvenirs, cafes, restaurants.
MarketAlways
bustling & colorful the Port Vila marketplace is a hive of activity from
the early hours of Monday morning 24/7 until midday Saturday.The mamas come in from their villages
complete with the freshest produce. Everyone is always friendly & willing
to answer your questions on "what fruit is that?" or "How do I
cook this?" From the
vast range of whatever fruit & vegetables happen to be in season, live
crabs & chickens, jams & juices, weaving & shells the market is
always a myriad of lively colour, especially early on Saturday mornings when
its flower day.Check out
the food stalls at the rear of the markethouse, from the line of laplap stalls
to the "cook as you wait" meals you wont get the freshness, quantity
or value for money anywhere else - plus the interesting conversation alongside.Vanua Fire Show (must see)Whatever
else you do in Port Vila make sure you don’t miss seeing the fantastic Vanua
Fire group, they have shows around town nearly every evening. The original Fire
Show started at the Beach Bar in Mele
Bay, where they still
perform every Friday night.This band
of talented young fire dancers from Wan Smolbag perform to a range of
traditional & contemporary music putting on a spectacular display of fire
twirling styles using a repetoire of fans, pois, ropes & fire breathing.
The enthusiasium & passion of the dancers keeps you enthralled throughout
the show.Check out
the current weekly schedule (either at the VTO Office, tourist office, tours
operators offices or on www.VanuaFire) to see where they are performing &
make sure you get along to experience the show. It usually only costs a drink
at whichever resort they are performing, plus maybe a tip to the firedancers.
Make sure you are early to get a front row seat!Mele Cascades (must see)Grab a mini-bus
from Port Vila to the Mele Cascades (about 200-300 vatu per person). A 500 vatu
entrance fee allows you access to beautiful tropical gardens and a trail
following up the river to the main falls. The water has a blue/green tinge due
to the dissolved lime within, with travertine deposits forming smaller cascades
that grow in size as you head upwards. Plenty of opportunity to cool down in
the numerous bush lined pools on the way. It’s an easy walk and at the base of
the final cascade the trail takes you directly up through the river so be
prepared to get wet. The footing is non slippery and steps have been formed
over the years with a rope to hang onto, as you near the base of the 35m high
falls the noise and spray add to the adventure. Awesome photo opportunities,
with refreshments available back down at the entrance. Take a towel, some cash
and your camera!The Vanuatu Cultural Centre The Vanuatu
Cultural Centre (Vanuatu Kulja Senta), the National Cultural Institution of
Vanuatu, is a worthwhile place to visit before leaving Port Vila to start
sailing through the islands. Here you start to realize the vast range of
differing cultures you are about to see on your sailing adventures in Vanuatu. While the
museum does need some TLC the displays are authentic & very interesting,
the guides who work in the museum are eager to help you get the most of your
visit. The sand drawing demonstrations are fun & interesting to watch,
while the interactive displays, such as the various pipe music routines will
leave you asking for more.The Vanuatu
Cultural Centre is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm & 9am to 11.30 on
Saturday. You can get there by waving down a bus or walking up the hill from
The Waterfront Bar & Grill, taking the first turn left & then left
again, the centre is 100
metres on your right. Ph (+678) 22-129Vanuatu handicraft centerJust opened
in September 2014 the covered complex that houses the new complex on Wharf Rd, with over
140 stalls promoting Vanuatu
handicrafts is definitely worth a visit. Open 7 days from 9am–5pm the Vanuatu
Handicraft Market is a great place to go on a rainy day, here you can wander
from stall to stall talking to the stall owners displaying a huge range of
local handicraft including pottery, carving, painting, mats, sculpture,
jewellery, weaving & much more. Downstairs are more boutiques, a café &
bar, an island kaekae food court, massage, braiding & beauty salons so
there is something for everyone. Vanuatu HelicoptersBook a short
flight over the Port Vila and neighborhood. You will enjoy the flight and see
many scenic views. Do not forget your camera. They operate close to quarantine
area but ask in any tour operator’s office. Really easy to find.

Fees

Note: 100VT
is around 1 USD (2017)Berthing in
Marina: VT2800
per day for mono hulls, VT3000 per day for Catamarans.Mooring
buoy in marina: VT1600 per day for mono hulls, VT2400 per day for Catamarans. Anchoring:
freePort dues –
VT 7875 for a 30 days period or any part thereof. After 30 days from the date
of first arrival, the vessel is liable for an additional charge of VT100 per
day.Quarantine:
about VT 4500Garbage
disposal: if on Yachting World mooring free, if not VT500 per bagWater: on
Yachting World mooring: free, if not VT1000 per useUsing
marina facilities when at anchor (dinghy wharf, shower, water, etc.): VT500 per
dayLaundry –
1000 per loadWiFi Sim
Card + 1GB data – 1000 VTBus ride –
from 1000 VTTaxi – from
500 VTMele
Cascades entrance: 500 VT